As the device geometries of integrated circuits continue to decrease with improvements in manufacturing processes, greater numbers of circuits can be arrayed on a single integrated circuit die. There is also an increased probability that at least some of these circuits will be defective in some way. It has become standard practice in the design of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices to provide redundant memory elements that can be used to replace defective memory elements and thereby increase device yields. Redundant elements can only be used to repair certain types of defects by replacing a row, a column or a subarray of an array of devices. Depending on the particular defect repaired, the device may exhibit undesirable characteristics such as increased standby current, speed degradation, reduction in operating temperature range, or reduction in supply voltage range as a result of the defect being present on the die. Certain other types of defects cannot be repaired effectively through redundancy techniques alone. Defects such as power to ground shorts in a portion of the array can prevent the device from operating even to the extent required to locate the defect in a test environment. Memory devices with limited known defects have been sold as "partials", "audio RAMs" or "off spec devices" provided that the defects do not prohibitively degrade the performance of the functional portions of the memory. The value of a partially functional device decreases dramatically as the performance of the device deviates from that of the standard fully functional device. The desire to make use of devices with limited defects, and the problems associated with the performance of these devices due to the defects are well known in the industry.